This proposal represents the first renewal application of [sic] training grant since its refunding in 2002. The current proposal is dedicated to continuing this education by providing MD trainees with an intensive laboratory or clinical investigation based education that is designed to provide them with the essential intellectual foundation necessary for them to eventually become successful independently funded investigators. This program comprises 25 training faculty falling into 5 thematically related groups focused on, or using techniques relevant to, problems pertinent to gastroenterology. These groups are: Gl Cancer (Drs. Byrne, Cance, Dunn, Petersen, &Wallace);Inflammation (Drs. Atkinson, Clare-Salzler, Moldawer, Nelson, Nick, &Valentine);Liver Disorders/Virology (Drs. Behrns, Crawford, Flotte, Liu, &Nelson);Nutrition/Metabolism (Drs. Gregory, Johnson, Novak, Toskes, &Weiner);and Clinical Investigation (Asal, Brantly, Heft, Nelson, Stacpoole, Valentine, &Verne). The faculty members are from 3 different colleges (Medicine, Dentistry, and Liberal Arts) and 8 separate departments (Biochemistry, Medicine, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Neuroscience, Oral Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics and Surgery). In addition to these preceptors, two Senior Advisors help with fellowship training and the day-to-day functioning of the training grant program (Drs McGuigan and Forsmark). As will be demonstrated, considerable interaction and collaboration exists between the members of this training grant faculty, and all have distinguished records as educators and investigators. Indeed, the focus of many of the training faculty is such that their work places them in multiple different groups, thereby speaking to the interrelated nature of these investigators. We have successfully created an environment for high quality education in the basic sciences relevant to the study of Gl diseases and clinical investigation for the MD trainee at the University of Florida. In total, 28 of 35 individuals supported by this training grant between 1972 and 2006 entered academic medicine, with 23 remaining in patient oriented or basic research. The current training differs from the earlier version insofar as it is primarily dedicated to providing MD's with basic research and clinical research training opportunities. Since 2002 the Gl Division has trained 21 Gl fellows, with 12 still in training. Of these 21 individuals, 2 are African American (10%), 2 are Hispanic (10%), and 7 are women (33%).